Went diving yesterday with Redford White and Maan De Ocampo, two long time buddies. Had two easy dives. Easy dives are generally shallow ones and without strong currents. You go on a slow pace and just trip on the thousands of fish everywhere. We dove in my favorite spot, Beatriz, a beautiful garden with hundreds and thousands of fish along picturesque corridors of rock and coral formation–all in shallow 35 feet, and also at the back of Sombrero Island which has a more spread out lay but pretty as well. We met new people, Jo-al (our dive master) and Tess Tamayo, his better-half.

Diving has this ability to refresh my perspective on things. I akin it to getting a ‘mind wash’. Just going down the ocean makes me feel renewed and reawakened to the beauty below and above. Perhaps it’s the simple proposition that as a creature outside of his usual habitat, I simply must follow instructions in as uncomplicated a manner as possible and that is, breathe through the aqualung, or die! No time for other unnecessary problems. Be simple like the fish or perish!

It seems like an uphill struggle to wake up at 4:30, go to Anilao for the day and spend around 6 hours in a car. Luckily, the conversation in the car is terrific and the dives make all the trouble worth it. By next year, I would have been diving for 10 years already! How time flies. Must get more diving this summer.

–Yesterday was EDSA day. the whole week, I was getting calls from news and public affairs from both sides of Kapamilya and Kapuso asking me to guest. I declined because I had already planned on diving. However, I consented to lending footages I had of the event, specifically the accounts of what happened in Radio Veritas during those heady days. Never seen before, Tony Velasques was excited to borrow them. I insisted on viewing them in my house so I could screen out other stuff that was personal. While watching them, I couldn’t help but notice that I had a pretty good visual coverage of the other side of the action outside of EDSA. Specifically, it was the rally/performance that showbiz people like APO, Jacqui Magno, Celeste Legaspi, Nonoy Zuniga, with the help of Ernie Garcia, Nora Aunor, Philip Salvador and Lino Brocka put up to gather people in Fairview, QC to form a human wall and prevent any take-over of the radio station on that night of the 22nd. Them were sleepless, heroic days. I remember being everywhere with my camera trying to document everything. I hardly ate or rested but was so energized even if I was actually running on empty!

Many things have happened since then. Our country has gone from bad to worse in many respects. Many of our leaders have betrayed EDSA’s ideals. Tony Velasquez asked me if I regretted doing what I did. I answered a definite ‘no’! I still feel now as I felt then that the people who stood up with courage for freedom and truth did so with honesty and conviction in their hearts. Though brief, it was a shining moment but truly a great one. And nothing and no one can change that.

I cannot say that though about the military puschists and Enrile who were operating with their own agenda. They still can’t get it through their heads that we did not march or risk our lives for them. Enrile and the military were hated figures. The plotters were merely accidental heroes who were saved by the people because they suddenly turned anti-Marcos. Though given a chance by the people who saved them, their deceit and insincerity was too far gone as they later betrayed us over and over again with continious failed coups and power grabs.

–Two days ago, I consented to going with Lydia to a ‘Deep Nerve Therapy Center’ in Antipolo, a treatment place for various bodily aches and pains. I’ve had this frozen right shoulder for sometime now that seemed to be getting worse the past few days probably exacerbated by doing the wrong gym exercises. The treatment is hard to describe and I will not attempt to. It’s definitely eastern, alternative medicine. The staff learned it from some Taiwanese traditional doctors. The bottom line is, the pain on my shoulder has eased considerably. Sometimes, I can’t even feel it anymore. And the real test was, I was completely OK during my dives yesterday.

Just because it’s not the usiual and I can’t understand how it works does not mean I must reject it, di ba? As John Lennon says, ‘whatever gets you through the night. It’s alright. It’s alright!’ Or as Deng Xiao Ping loved to say, ‘It does not matter if the cat is black or white so long as it catches mice!’

–These are my last few days before I’m off again for another tour of the US with APO. The first leg begins this March 10, 11 at the Sycuan Casino in San Diego with the third show on March 20 at Cache Creek Casino, Brooks, California. We will be back by the 23rd of March and will be off again at the end of April for leg 2. The second leg ends by May 29 after which we rest awhile and then it’s off this time to the Middle East!!! Man! I just love to tour! Meanwhile, we will be hitting the rehearsal studio by next week to make sure we give our audience another unforgettable tour.

Jim